Stars Above (The Lunar Chronicles # 4.5) - Marissa Meyer
Book Synopsis: The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies? With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles. ___________________ The Little Android: A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles. Glitches: In this prequel to Cinder, we see the results of the plague play out, and the emotional toll it takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch…. The Queen’s Army: In this prequel to Scarlet, we’re introduced to the army Queen Levana is building, and one soldier in particular who will do anything to keep from becoming the monster they want him to be. Carswell’s Guide to Being Lucky: Thirteen-year-old Carswell Thorne has big plans involving a Rampion spaceship and a no-return trip out of Los Angeles. The Keeper: A prequel to the Lunar Chronicles, showing a young Scarlet and how Princess Selene came into the care of Michelle Benoit. After Sunshine Passes By: In this prequel to Cress, we see how a nine-year-old Cress ended up alone on a satellite, spying on Earth for Luna. The Princess and the Guard: In this prequel to Winter, we see a game called The Princess The Mechanic: In this prequel to Cinder, we see Kai and Cinder’s first meeting from Kai’s perspective. Something Old, Something New: In this epilogue to Winter, friends gather for the wedding of the century...
I guess I have no choice but to rate each mini-story individually...
The Keeper: It was interesting to see from the perspective of Scarlet's grandmother Michelle Benoit. Honestly, her name reminds me of the actress who stars in that show Supergirl. The story was slow at first, but it picked up towards the end. I guess I just didn't really care about that aspect of Scarlet and Cinder's upbringing. The real question is... how do you hide a "dead" princess from your grand-daughter in your own house (farm)?
Rating: ★★★★☆
Glitches: Cinder's origin story is finally told in greater detail. This is what I've been waiting for, some more background information on the mysterious cyborg girl of New Beijing. It was a short story that made me hate Adri and Pearl even more than I used to.
Rating: ★★★★★
The Queen's Army: Wolf or Z, well whichever you prefer, but literally the same hybrid of a wolf/person? To be clear, Wolf isn't my favorite character, I have a hard time picturing what he looks like. Kind of boring, to be frank, but I did feel sympathy for his character - he had a tough life.
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Carswell's Guide to Being Lucky: Finally, a story that I was looking forward to reading, the literal and figurative thorn in the side of this whole series - Carswell Thorne, of course he reminded me of one of my favorites: Flynn Rider from Tangled. What a casanova, a hopeless flirt, and a kid with a good heart. I really rooted for him and Cress to finally get together - Winter made that dream come true.
Rating: ★★★★★
After Sunshine Passes By: Cress/Crescent Moon - a shell of a Lunar, a master hacker, and a naive girl who just wants to please others. A daydreamer and a girl with a lonely life living in a satellite. Like Wolf, I'm not so much of a fan of Cress, I guess I'll always be partial to Rapunzel the Disney version. It was an okay story, not good, not bad - somewhere in between.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The Princess and the Guard: I just love the relationship between Jacin and Princess Winter. Ironic, since I wasn't ever into the whole idea of Snow White. Luckily, there aren't any dwarves to ruin the story for me. Next to Cinder and Emperor Kai, Jacin and Winter are hands down my favorite couple of The Lunar Chronicles.
Rating: ★★★★★
The Little Android: Growing up, I loved watching Disney's The Little Mermaid. That's all, I don't really have much to say about this short story, but I just wish there was a spin-off book that was about Iko.
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Mechanic: Kai and Cinder's very first meeting at the market, told from Kai's perspective. I can't get over how cute they are together. This story made me happy, and it was easily one of my favorites in Stars Above.
Rating: ★★★★★
Something Old, Something New: Wolf and Scarlet getting married, well whoop-dee-doo, I couldn't care less. Labeled, the wedding of the century, more like a snooze fest for me, but the reason that it's a five-star rating, is that there's blissful news for Cinder and Kai.
Rating: ★★★★★
I can't believe that this series has come to an end, I really enjoyed reading the whole series and it took me about four weeks to finish them. Maybe I would've finished sooner if I hadn't been busy reading other books or knitting or working. What a ride, and I'm sad that it's over, but I'm looking forward to reading Heartless!
Average Rating: ★★★★☆